Long Island Sound Futures Fund

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is accepting grant proposals for the 2018 Long Island Sound Study Futures Fund. Approximately $2 million is expected to be awarded. Non-profits, state and local governments, educational institutions, and Indian Tribes in Connecticut and New York have until May 10 to apply for grants for Long Island Sound-related projects to improve water quality, restore and protect habitats, and educate the public about the health of the Sound and its living resources. Water quality projects in the Sound’s watershed involving the removal of nitrogen are also eligible for funding in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. See the 2018 Request for Proposals.

What is the Long Island Sound Futures Fund?

Stretching more than 110 miles into the Atlantic, with 600 miles of coastline, the Long Island Sound is home to hundreds of species of fish, birds, and other animals. Millions of people visit the Sound each year to swim, boat, and enjoy its beauty, enriching their own lives and stimulating the local economy.

Maintaining the Sound as a healthy ecosystem, while balancing human uses, presents a challenge. Over centuries, stormwater runoff, debris and other sources of man-made pollution have degraded the Sound and compromised its vitality.

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund supports projects in local communities that aim to protect and restore the Long Island Sound. It unites federal and state agencies, foundations and corporations to achieve high-priority conservation objectives. Funded activities demonstrate a real, on-the-ground commitment to securing a healthy future for the Long Island Sound.

Educating to Engage Sustainable and Resilient Communities: increasing knowledge and engagement of the public in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound.

The Long Island Sound Study initiated the Long Island Sound Futures Fund in 2005 through the EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. To date the Futures Fund has invested $17 million in 380 projects. With grantee match of $33 million, the program generated $50 million for locally based conservation. The projects have opened up 157 river miles for fish passage, restored 1,090 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat and open space; treated 202 million gallons of pollution, and educated and engaged 3 million people from communities surrounding the sound.

Who Manages the Program?

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation manages the Long Island Sound Futures Fund in partnership with the Long Island Sound Study through EPA’s Long Island Sound Office. Major funding for the program is provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Long Island Sound Study, and US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

EPA Regions I and II, FWS, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York and Connecticut Sea Grant programs, Interstate Environmental Commission, and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission review proposals and provide technical assistance to applicants and recipients.